The do’s and don’ts of airport fashion

Airports: An endless parade of long lines, the fabulous game of “hurry up and wait,” hours of layovers and the ever-dreaded TSA. Airports are just an all-around good time and everyone’s favorite place to be.

Not.

Airports are a necessary evil if you want to have adventures, but that doesn’t make them fun.

Although there is one silver-lining to a 10-hour layover in Los Angeles: people watching. You can try and guess where your fellow travelers are going, watch them run for their flights, and best of all, check out their travel duds.

After several hours of watching fellow travelers come and go, you should find some distinct do’s and don’ts of airport fashion.

Do dress accordingly with your length of travel. The longer you’re going for, the comfier your clothes should be. If you have five flights and won’t be at your destination for a full 24 hours, you might want to wear yoga pants.

Do pack a change of clothes in your carry-on. Especially if you have an overnight flight, it’s nice to have a fresh shirt (or pair of underwear) to put on when you arrive.

Don’t sacrifice comfort for style. Your skinny jeans and heeled boots may look fabulous, but they’ll only slow you down when you inevitably have to run through the airport to catch a flight. You’ll have plenty of time to be fashionable on your vacation. Just think about it — do you really want to be the one person in a dress and heels on an overnight flight?

Do dress in layers. Airport temperatures are notoriously bipolar, and airplanes are even worse. If you dress in layers, you’ll be able to adjust accordingly to the temperatures and always be comfortable. Don’t overdo it, though. Remember you’ll have to take it all off for the TSA.

Do leave your metal jewelry at home. Sure, you look great, right up until you arrive at a security checkpoint. All your jingle-jangles will set off the TSA alarms faster than you can say full-body search.

Don’t worry about how you look. You’re at the airport to get from point A to point B, not to impress anyone or land a modeling gig. Who cares what these people think of you? They’re too focused on their own itinerary to notice you, and even if they do, you’ll never see them again anyway.

While our Christmas Break travels might be done, spring break is just around the corner. Travel safe and travel smart, and before you know it, you’ll be at your destination looking like a million bucks.